Call to Artists: Commissioned Art Piece – Sparks, NV

The City of Sparks Arts and Culture Advisory Committee is seeking portfolios from artists or artist teams interested in designing and fabricating a large-scale piece of public art to be installed in the Victorian Avenue Cultural District that represents the character and identity of the City of Sparks. The ACAC is looking to commission an artist/artist team to design, fabricate, and install a large-scale sculpture on an existing concrete pad adjacent to the public sidewalk. The existing concrete pad can incorporate water and electricity into the artwork, but this is not a requirement. Goals of the art installation are to create a gathering space in the downtown core, as well as articulate the cultural identity of our city.

ACAC seeks artists with public art experience. The $125,000 commission will cover all services from design through final installation/implementation, including artist fee, fabrication, lighting, insurance, transportation, permitting, engineering, and installation.

From this call, three finalists will be selected by the selection committee comprised of community representatives, and the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee. Finalists will be invited to present their design concepts in person or remotely to the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee. The artists will be provided with survey responses gathered from the community that will help them to create a design that reflects the character of the community and represents what members of our community value. Final selection of one artist or team will be made by the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee and recommended for approval by the City Council.

Location:

The location for the selected commissioned art piece is a large cement pedestal located across from the downtown events plaza in the heart of the City of Sparks’ Arts and Cultural district. The pedestal is equipped with electricity and water access and is 20” tall and a circumference of 47’.

Budget:

Budget is not to exceed $125,000 for the entire project. This budget is inclusive of all costs associated with the design, planning, engineering, permitting, fabrication, installation, and completion of the project. This budget includes all transportation costs and insurance. This budget does not include the costs for initial proposal design stipends. Please note that the existing concrete pedestal that will house the art is equipped with electricity and water.

The Artist Selection Process:

Artists/teams submit qualifications in the form of images or video of previous work and a letter of interest online through WESTAF Café.
The selection committee will select 3 finalists.
Finalists will develop proposals and submit shop drawings (each finalist/team will be paid a $1000 stipend for their proposal).
Finalists present proposals to the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee. The Committee will select one artist/team to be awarded the $125,000 commission.
City Council will have final approval of the artist/team and project.

Scoring Criteria:

Quality of past work examples–style, relevance, materials, size and scope similar to this project.
Letter of interest–addresses project approach and demonstrates understanding of conceptualizing community descriptions of City’s character.
Examples of past work that have created community gathering spaces and/or have articulated the cultural identity of a community.

Timeline:

October 2, 2023 – Submission due online at 11:59 pm PT

October 2023 – Three finalists selected

October – December, 2023 – Finalists develop proposals

December 2023 – Finalists present proposals, one artist/team selected for commission

January – October 2024 – Fabrication of Artwork

October 2024 – Artwork installation

For more information about this program, visit https://www.cityofsparks.us/explore_sparks/art/index.php

For questions regarding the call, please contact City of Sparks Special Events Supervisor, Raquel Monserrat, at rmonserrat@cityofsparks.us or (775) 353-7856